Improvement in many-chambered-cylinder fire-arms



D. LEAVITT.

Revolver.

Patented Apr. 29, 1837.

No. 18,2. i

inventor.

Wg?. @ff/JTM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL LEAVlTT, OF CABOTVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 182, dated April 29, 1837.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL LEAvIr'r, of Cabotville, in the county ot Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, haveinade an Improve ment in Fire-Arms of that kind which have a revolving many-chambered breech, having its axis of revolution parallel'with that of the barrel of the piece, and which improvement is equally applicable to rifles, carbines, pistols, and all arms of an analogous character; and I do hereby declare that. the following is a full and exact description thereof.

The revolving cylinder which I use does not differ from such as have been previously employed in various manylchambered guns. The chambers are usually seven in number, which are made to coincide with the bore ofthe barrel by revolving the chamber by hand, there being acateh, governed by a trigger and spring, for disengaging and stopping it at the proper pe-v riod. To discharge the piece I employ percussioircaps, which are placed upon nipples and are struck by the hammer directly in a line with the axis of the barrel, as is practiced in many cane rifles and pistols, and to which arrangement I make no claim.

The improvement which I have made consists in giving a convex form to that end of the revolving cylipder which is in contact with the barrel. I sometimes make it in the form otl a hemisphere. It, however, may be a curve of a larger radius than that of the semi-diameter of the cylinder; but in al cases itis best that it should approximate to a hemisphere, as the security from accidental discharge which results from this convexity is then most perfect. It husheretofore been the practice to terminate such cylinders with tlat ends and to tit the back end of the barrel thereto as nearly as is consistent with a free revolution ofthe cylinder, and in this case the small portion of the charge which escapes through thisjoiningpassesdirectlyover themonthofthecontiguouschambers,t'requent ly occasioning their accidental discharge. In my tire-arms the back end ot' the barrel is ot' course adapted to the convex termination of the cylinder, Fitting thereto as closely as is consistent with freedom of motion. The portion ofthe ignited charge which may escape will in this case ily off in a tangent to the spherical end ofthe cylinder, and cannot possibly come into contact with a lateralcharged chamber. The same principle will govern and a similar result be produced, although less perfectly, by giving a conical form to the chamhered end ot' the cylinder.

\Vhat I claim as my improvement is- The giving to the chambered or erward end ofthe cylinder a comlex form y which the ignition of the charge in a chamber contiguous to that which is being tired is prevented, upon the principle and in the mannerherein set forth.

DANIEL LEAVITT.

Witnesses:

Tnos. l". JONES, GEO. ELGIN. 

